All the Devils Are Here (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache #16) - Louise Penny Page 0,81

pretty drastic, and risky. I think they’d try something else first.”

“Blackmail,” said Jean-Guy. “They went looking for some dirt to hold over him. Maybe something criminal.”

“They found those documents from the war,” said Reine-Marie. “And threatened to use them. If he exposed them, they’d tar him as a collaborator.”

Jean-Guy nodded. He’d been in France long enough to know that the Second World War was never that far away. Especially the tender issue of who worked for the Resistance, and who claimed to but actually worked for the Nazis.

He’d learned early on that he should never suggest “collaborating” with a colleague. It was an incendiary word.

“Well, if that was the strategy, they don’t know him,” said Reine-Marie. “That would just make him more determined than ever.”

“So they moved to plan B.” Armand turned to Reine-Marie. “Is there a record of who asks for which files at the archives?”

“There is, and I can look it up.” She paused. “But I have to be there. There’s something else, Armand. Something Annie found out.”

“I asked a colleague at my law firm to look into the work we did for Alexander Plessner,” said Annie. “He got back to me late this afternoon. Monsieur Plessner had an agreement drawn up, to form a limited partnership here in France. This was earlier this year.”

When Annie hesitated, Armand said, “Go on.”

“The agreement was with a newly created department within the Banque Privée des Affaires. The venture capital division.”

“Daniel?” Armand said and saw Annie nod. “But maybe he didn’t actually know Plessner.”

“He did. His name’s on the incorporation certificate.”

Daniel had lied.

CHAPTER 26

Armand stood up. “I’m going over there.”

“You can’t,” said Reine-Marie. “It’s almost midnight.”

“Then he’s sure to be in.” He was walking to the door.

“Armand, stop.” It was a command. From Reine-Marie.

And he did. But he remained with his back to her. Not, for the moment, wanting her to see the rage, the outrage he felt toward their son.

The hurt.

“He lied.”

“Yes,” said Reine-Marie. “But storming over there isn’t going to help. You know that.”

Now he did turn and held her eyes. “He lied. Not just to the police, but to us.”

To me.

“He was probably in shock when Commander Fontaine said it was Alexander Plessner who’d been killed,” said Reine-Marie. “You know Daniel. He feels things deeply and takes his time to think things over. But he gets there.”

“What would you have me do?”

“Come home,” said Reine-Marie. “Sleep on it. You can speak with him in the morning. If you go over now, who knows what’ll happen. What’ll be said that can’t be unsaid. Please.”

She held out her hand. Armand looked at it. Then, nodding, he took it.

“You’re right. It’ll keep ’til morning.” He turned to Annie. “Will you be going to the hotel?”

“First thing in the morning, yes,” said Annie. “Once Honoré’s awake. Dad?”

“Yes?”

“Daniel’s a good man. He’s not involved in this. You know that, right?”

“I do.”

But he didn’t dare look Jean-Guy in the eye. He knew what he’d find there.

If anyone else in a homicide investigation had blatantly lied about knowing the victim, they’d move way up the suspect list.

And Daniel’s actions were suspect, at the very least.

Once home, they decided to leave the dishes for the morning and dropped into bed, exhausted.

Armand expected to toss and turn, but instead he fell into an immediate and deep sleep and awoke to the sound of rain pelting against the bedroom window.

It was dawn on a drizzly Sunday morning. As he closed the window, Armand looked out and into the living room of the apartment across the narrow street.

It belonged to a young couple with a child. He didn’t know their names, though they sometimes waved to each other. But it was too early for anyone to be up.

Except, maybe. He scanned the street below but saw no one watching their apartment. But then, anyone SecurForte-trained would make sure not to be seen.

Though, oddly, Jean-Guy’s man had not only been spotted, several times, but made sure he was recognized. No doubt a scare tactic.

It seemed, this Sunday morning, that no one was trying to scare him.

He looked at the bedside clock. Six fifteen.

As he showered, he thought about Daniel. As he dressed, he thought about Daniel. Then, leaving Reine-Marie fast asleep in the bedroom, he did the dishes as quietly as he could.

And thought about Daniel. About what to do. What to say.

Putting the coffee on to perk, he went for a walk.

Glancing casually about him, he could see no sign of surveillance. It was, he thought as he put